NW Alpine

The NW Alpine Blog of Alpine Pursuits

The Alaska Range - Katie McKinstry
Expedition

The Alaska Range - Katie McKinstry

"In climbing there is so much you can control. From training, to the food you eat, the gear you buy, the knowledge you learn, the skills you possess.... but the weather is that almighty being which...
Sending in The Age of Corona - Phil Wortmann
Expedition

Sending in The Age of Corona - Phil Wortmann

"Training pushed my tendons and joints as far as they could go. I slimmed up as much as I could handle, but there are only so many calories you can cut. Liposuction is too expensive for this teache...
Castle Mountain, Montana - July 6-7, 2019 - Bracken Spencer
Expedition

Castle Mountain, Montana - July 6-7, 2019 - Bracken Spencer

It was a late start to an already late start. The plan had been to hit the West Fork of Rock Creek trailhead, located outside of Red Lodge, MT on July 5th for a solo two nights and three days of ba...
Mt. Adams, Washington - Adams Glacier Headwall "Ice Extension" (IV, AI3+, 55 deg snow) 06/09/2019 - A perspective by Eric Hardson and Noah Kimmes
Expedition

Mt. Adams, Washington - Adams Glacier Headwall "Ice Extension" (IV, AI3+, 55 deg snow) 06/09/2019 - A perspective by Eric Hardson and Noah Kimmes

Approach was straightforward from Killen Creek TH. Open air bivy at 7,000'. Minor glacier travel with little to no crevasse danger to base of the route. A long, moderate snow slope began at about 9...
The Ruth: A Perspective experience of the Alaska Range By Samuel F. Wilson
Community

The Ruth: A Perspective experience of the Alaska Range By Samuel F. Wilson

I knew visiting the Ruth Gorge for the first time would be awesome, but years of reading, watching, listening, and dreaming about the Alaska Range might as well have been fiction. 
The First Ascent of The Pencil, Mt. Hood
Expedition

The First Ascent of The Pencil, Mt. Hood

In the winter season that just continued to give to us ice and alpine climbers, we tried to zero in on another objective. We had always heard "The Pencil" come up as the obvious unclimbed line on t...
New Routes on Mt. Hood (Part 1)
Expedition

New Routes on Mt. Hood (Part 1)

My buddy Tim Bemrich and I were debating objectives one winter weekend.  Portland had been in a serious cold spell and many climbers were taking advantage of a freshly frozen over Columbia River Go...
Cathedral Ridge: Mt. Hood's rarely climbed classic
Expedition

Cathedral Ridge: Mt. Hood's rarely climbed classic

On any sunny spring weekend the easy access to Mt. Hood's Timberline Lodge lures throngs of people looking to slog and ski their way up the iconic mountain. But venture away from the South Side to ...
Expedition

Winter is not Over!

With snow melting rapidly in the alpine, delaminated daggers falling off, and warm temps all over the West, I have noticed many climbers talking about hanging up their tools for the season, or sw...